Posts for: May, 2016

Improving your smile is easier than ever with Invisalign. The innovative brace system uses clear, removable aligner trays that don't draw attention to the fact that you're straightening your teeth. Your Yorba Linda dentist Dr. Richard Hamaty shares some information that will help you decide if Invisalign is the right choice for you.

Invisalign doesn't use wires and brackets

Traditional braces use a system of wires and brackets to move teeth. Every four to six weeks, adjustments are made by tightening the wires. There are no wires or brackets with Invisalign. In fact, nothing is attached to your teeth. Instead, your dentist will give you a series of clear aligner trays that will exert constant, gentle pressure to move your teeth. Every two or three weeks, you'll begin using a new set of aligners.

Invisalign is a good option no matter what your age

Whether you're 14 or 40, you can benefit from the Invisalign brace system. If you're a teenager, you can expect to wear the aligners for about the same amount of time you would wear metal braces. Adults may only need to use the trays for about a year, depending on their orthodontic issues. Although Invisalign is an excellent choice for mild to moderate orthodontic issues, if you have a severe alignment problem, metal braces may be the best option.

Invisalign from your Yorba Linda dentist offers many benefits

Invisalign offers several benefits that other brace systems can't, including:

Flexibility: Invisalign is the perfect choice for your busy lifestyle. If you plan to attend a special event, or school picture day is approaching, you can remove your aligner trays for a few hours, if you wish. Playing sports with metal braces can increase your risk of a mouth injury, even if you wear a special mouthguard. When you choose Invisalign, you simply remove your trays during practices and games.

No food limitations: Do you love popcorn and carrots? These foods are off-limits when you wear metal braces, but you can continue to eat anything you want when you choose the Invisalign system. You'll remove your trays to eat and replace them when you finish your meal.

Comfort: Metal braces can be uncomfortable and can irritate your gums and cheeks, particularly if a wire becomes lose. Invisalign trays are made of smooth plastic resin and offer a much more comfortable solution.

As a parent you’re always on the lookout for dangers to your toddler’s well-being: sharp corners on furniture, uneven walks or the occasional stomach bug. But a situation could be brewing in their mouth you might not be aware of until it’s become a full-blown problem.

The silent danger is tooth decay, which could be developing as early as infancy. Undiagnosed and untreated, it could ultimately cause premature loss of primary (“baby”) teeth with adverse effects on the eruption of incoming permanent teeth.

Tooth decay arises from certain strains of mouth bacteria, often passed down from parent to child. These bacteria produce acid as a byproduct after feeding on carbohydrates (especially sugars). The more food available, the more acid they produce. This wreaks havoc on tooth enamel, the teeth’s outer protective covering by softening and dissolving its mineral content. This gives decay an opening to infect the interior of a tooth.

Combine inadequate hygiene practices (especially brushing) with poor dietary habits, and you have the conditions for a perfect disease storm in your child’s mouth. That’s why you should begin oral hygiene as soon as you notice their first teeth. Wiping them with a clean, wet cloth is sufficient in the beginning, but you should start daily brushing (with fluoridated toothpaste to strengthen young enamel) by their first birthday.

You should also practice good dietary habits. For example, avoid giving an infant or toddler a bottle filled with juice, milk or formula to sleep with through the night — the constant sipping bathes the mouth in sugars bacteria feed on. Instead, use plain water.Â You should also focus on nutrition from the get-go to help build overall good health as well as strong teeth and gums.

As an added measure, begin regular dental visits by their first birthday. A checkup and cleaning every six months will help us detect early tooth decay and lessen its impact. We can also provide sealants and topical fluoride to give added protection against decay.

Catching and treating decay early before it gets too far is the best way to prevent early tooth loss. Your child’s future dental health might depend on it.

Can you have healthy teeth and still have gum disease? Absolutely! And if you don’t believe us, just ask actor David Ramsey. The cast member of TV hits such as Dexter and Arrow said in a recent interview that up to the present day, he has never had a single cavity. Yet at a routine dental visit during his college years, Ramsey’s dentist pointed out how easily his gums bled during the exam. This was an early sign of periodontal (gum) disease, the dentist told him.

“I learned that just because you don’t have cavities, doesn’t mean you don’t have periodontal disease,” Ramsey said.

Apparently, Ramsey had always been very conscientious about brushing his teeth but he never flossed them.

“This isn’t just some strange phenomenon that exists just in my house — a lot of people who brush don’t really floss,” he noted.

Unfortunately, that’s true — and we’d certainly like to change it. So why is flossing so important?

Oral diseases such as tooth decay and periodontal disease often start when dental plaque, a bacteria-laden film that collects on teeth, is allowed to build up. These sticky deposits can harden into a substance called tartar or calculus, which is irritating to the gums and must be removed during a professional teeth cleaning.

Brushing teeth is one way to remove soft plaque, but it is not effective at reaching bacteria or food debris between teeth. That’s where flossing comes in. Floss can fit into spaces that your toothbrush never reaches. In fact, if you don’t floss, you’re leaving about a thirdÂ to half of your tooth surfaces unclean — and, as David Ramsey found out, that’s a path to periodontal disease.

Since then, however, Ramsey has become a meticulous flosser, and he proudly notes that the long-ago dental appointment “was the last we heard of any type of gum disease.”

Let that be the same for you! Just remember to brush and floss, eat a good diet low in sugar, and come in to the dental office for regular professional cleanings.